Electric sign.



E. M. MlLLER.

ELECTRIC SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED APR.3.191*

Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

12 Mn/ii /3 figcoo o e000 OOO COD 0 w WITNESSES: E1 5 ATTORNEY INVE/VTOR Ear! 777. WNW,

.1 MILLER, 03? EiJZfLIBETHTUVJN, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELLC'IBSEC SIGN.

'llpplication filed Apri13, 1918.

v To all Whom it may concern Be it known toat I, EARL M. hliLLEii,

citizen of the United States, 11 siding at Elizabethtown, in the county Lancaster and State of Pennsylvania, have invent d certain new and useful li'nprovenients in Electric'Signs, of which the folio is a. specification, re once heing had thi'arein to the accmnpanying drawing. This invention relates to an electric sign of that class in which the dctters or figures are interchangeable, so that the wording of the sign may be changed as desired.

In the present signs for this purpose the letters or figures have electric hulbs mounted thereon and to remove and change the letters, the electric wiring has to be changed or adjusted.

Also in handling the letters or figures the bulbs are liable to beconiebrolren, and further there are a great many bulbs to be renewed from time to time.

The object of the present invention is to provide an electric sign in which the letters or figures are perforated, and which are illuminated by reflected light from a few powerful bulbs which. are mounted within the sign and fully protected.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sign that shall be simple, durable and cheap.

With these and other ohjects in View my invention consists in certain constructions andcoinbination of parts as will be fully described and claimed in the annexed specification, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings whichforni a part of this application, and in which like figures of reference refer to corresponding parts in all of the views, but-it is fully understood that while 1 have described my invention shown that I do not confine myself to the exact design as shown as slight changes may be made in the construction and combination of the several parts, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings Figure 1. is a front elevation of a sign embodying my invention.

Fig. 2. is an end view of the same.

Fig. 3. is a sectional view taken on the line XX of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4. is a. sectional view taken on the line YY of Fig. 1. and showing the method of removing the letters.

Fig. 5. is a back View of one of the figures.

Specification of Let hers Ewen- Patented Apr. $2, i919.

Serial No. 226.539.

Fig. (3. is a cross sectional view of one of the figures.

plates 8, each plate having a cutout portion of the form of the letter or figure and to which the letter or figure is secured; said letter or figurehaving the perforations 10.

The top, bottom, and one side of said letter plate 8 are provided with tongues 11 forming side edges for entering the grooves 7, and the other side edge of said plate is provided with a :iiangcd strip 12, forming a groove 13 for the reception of the tongue of the next letter or figure plate. By the use of blank plates 14-, of different widths, the opening may be filled.

The upper groove 7 is of sufficient depth to allow the plates to be raised until the lower tongues clear the bottom groove. The'plates are then sprung outward at the bottom and removed from the upper groove, as shown in Fig. 6.

As the upper groove 7, in said opening is deeper than the bottom groove; to remove the plates, they are raised until the loweredge can he removed from the bottom groove, and the plates are sprung out 21rd at the bottom and removed from the upper groove as shown in Fig. (3.

It is understood that the sign niay be of any shape orsixe desired, and contain as many letters or figures as required.

Having thusdcscribed my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

1. In a sign, the combination with a boxshaped frame provided with an opening, illuminating means adapted to project the light outwardly toward said opening, perforated character plates, and aneans to re tain the plates in said opening, a plurality of said plates each provided with a groove alone one side edge adapted to be engaged by the side edge of an adjacent plate.

2. lo a sign, the combination with a boxshaped frame provided with an opening,

illuminating meansadapted to project the light outwardly toward said opening, and perforated character plates retainable in grooves in the upper and lower edges of said opening, a plurality of said plates each provided with a groove along one side edge adapted to be engaged by the side edge of an adjacent plate, whereby each plate may be engaged with the frame and with the adjacent plate or plates.

3. In a sign, the combination with a box, shaped frame provided with an opening and means forming grooves along the upper and lower edges of the opening, illuminating means adapted to project the light outwardly toward said opening, and perforated character plates the upper and lower edges of which are adapted to engage said grooves,

one of said grooves being of sufficient depth to allow the plates to be moved vertically until they clear the other groove, a plurality of said plates each provided with a groove along one side edge adapted to be erllgaged by the side edge of an adjacent p ate.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EAR-L M. MILLER. 

